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Introduction to Digital Image Capture
Article
1 of 100
Capturing the image - includes setting up the proper
parameters in your camera, making decisions about image type,
image size, color balance, exposure, focusing, and in-camera
image enhancement.
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| Adobe
Lightroom Beta - on an Apple 30-inch Cinema Display
Baktapur, Nepal © George Mann
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When
setting up a digital photography workflow routine most photographers
assume that the process starts once the image has been transferred
to the computer, and many assume that by ignoring in camera
controls and setting the camera to RAW and programmed Automatic
that they will be able to get just as much image quality out
of the camera as the photographer who uses full manual settings.
Unfortunately these assumptions will lead to less than satisfactory
image quality.
I
have to confess that I myself do not often look at histograms
and also leave the camera on full automatic in many cases
but I do understand the limitations of this approach and know
when to switch to manual to get the best results.
RAW
image capture is a wonderful tool for professional and advanced
photographers but it is best to understand the limitations
of relying on it entirely, without regard for proper image
exposure. Like throwing a perfect strike in baseball, the
zone for a strike is furthest removed from error when the
pitch is thrown perfectly in the middle of the strike zone.
If the pitch is thrown close to the edge in any direction
there is a chance that it might miss the zone and cause an
error that will result in a foul image.
Shooting
all your images in RAW only, also unnecessarily increases
your workload when the majority of your output is either small
printed images or intended for email or online viewing. Unprocessed
RAW images are by nature flat in contrast and unsharpened,
so they require some image processing before being printed
or posted online.
On
the other hand JPEG images can be processed in the camera
and ready to use as soon as they are transferred to a computer
and in some cases printed directly from the camera. For instance,
the new Nikon
D200 has a Vivid (and Extra Vivid) setting that I find
perfect for landscape photography. A blue sky will turn out
so blue that most photographers will think you were using
a polarizing filter.
My
personal preference in most shooting situations is to shoot
RAW+JPEG with heavy in-camera control for the JPEG file and
instant gratification. If I do not like the results of the
JPEG images, I can always go back to a neutral square one
with the RAW file. Be forewarned, with the Nikon D200 a full
resolution RAW+JPEG is over 20MB per image, so carry lots
of big memory cards.
Going
back to the original discussion about being in the zone (exposure
wise), when I am confronted by a too bright, too dark, or
backlight situation, there is only one solution. Switch to
manual and bracket, one of your images will then hit the strike
zone dead center and RAW will do the rest.
P.S. Individual cameras differ in their approach and execution
of issues discussed in this article. Some software will recognize
in-camera manipulation of RAW images, other software does
not and all in-camera effects can easily be removed from any
RAW image files.
Please
do not get upset if your personal experience and views are
different from my own. These opinions are mine exclusively
and do not reflect the views or policies of any of the manufacturers
mentioned in this article ...... George
Mann |
